What does Christmas Shopping look like this year? Well, according to the AllGifts.ie Christmas Shopping Survey 2020, it will look a lot different from previous years…..
If Covid-19 and the unpredictability of life just now has taught us anything, it is to literally be prepared for anything; and Christmas is no exception, it seems! The annual survey by AllGifts.ie shows that 40% of Irish consumers started their Christmas shopping already in October. And 61% of shoppers are aiming to have finished off the Christmas gift list ahead of the second week in December.
Product shortages, travel restrictions and the fear of shops being closed are all contributing factors, it seems, as the extent of early preparedness is 9% ahead on the same figures gathered in 2019.
So too, less disposable income in many households and the expectation of less socialising means people intend buying fewer gifts this year and will spend less on each person. The anticipated average spend on Christmas gifts for 2020 will be €772. This is over €100 less than what was reported in the 2019 survey.
Grandparents will be the singular exception, with the majority of consumers questioned planning to spend extra on gifts for grandparents this year than in previous years. Possibly absence does make the heart grow fonder, with large numbers of our older population cocooning for a big part of the year, the survey organisers in AllGifts.ie suggest.
Dreaming of an Online Christmas…
Unsurprisingly, 94% of Irish consumers plan to shop online for gifts this year. This is up from 88% of people in 2019, and 60% of shoppers just 5 years ago. Even more telling is that Irish consumers will spend more of their gift budget online than ever before – 64% of their total gift spend, compared to 52% in both 2019 and 2018.
Covid has influenced the type of gifts being bought this year too, apparently. 29% of respondents say they expect to buy tech gifts, reflecting a greater need to connect digitally. Spa voucher purchase is up on previous years too, at 13%, indicating the need to de-stress.
The survey showed a significant decrease in numbers intending to buy concert and event tickets, further highlighting the unpredictability of lives. 23% of people in 2018 and 27% in 2019 planned on buying concert tickets, with this figure plummeting to 6% in 2020. Similarly, 9% of people in 2019 intended to buy a holiday or weekend break for a loved one, and this figure is down to just 3% this year.
Best and Worst of Times…
On the subject of the best, worst and most wanted gifts, a holiday, however, remains top of list for Best Christmas Gift ever received – unchanged in the last 4 years!
Socks maintain their bottom spot as the Worst Christmas Gift ever received – now unchanged for the last 5 years! The survey showed that the most desired gift is a voucher, and this ‘gift of choice’ has topped the poll since 2017.
The 2020 survey also saw holidays fall from the second most desired gift in 2019 and 2018, to number 7 in 2020. People are possibly reluctant to travel, or see the option as precarious, certainly in the short-term. 2020 saw smartwatches making their debut on the top 10 list of most wanted gifts.
Part of the AllGo family of gift and reward products, AllGifts.ie is Ireland’s largest personalised gift shop with over 5,000 products available online for people of all ages, including gift hampers, vouchers, experiences, travel and entertainment. The business is based in Dublin 8 and sends hampers and vouchers across Ireland and all around the world, as well as providing a corporate gifting service.
The AllGifts.ie survey has been conducted for the past five years, giving an insight to Irish Christmas gift buying intentions. The 2020 survey was conducted between October 12 and 19, 2020, with 5,109 responses, 21% male and 79% female respondents.
